No Rush [cav]

[Deleted]

It had taken a little convincing, but Jaimy had finally let her go alone. It was a bit of a drive, but she didn't mind at all, listening to Bastille, singing at the top of her voice. Finally, she drove up, turning the music off with the truck, and hopping out. She generally did not take horses here, mostly because she'd never been overseas, so they had no need unless they were working the distance horses. Today happened to be one of those days, although she wasn't technically working a racehorse. Humming to herself, she walked around the trailer, reaching a hand up and giving the side wall a tap so it rattled slightly. 

"Wake up in there!" she called. She jumped up lithely onto the wheel, untying the lead and tossing it over the tall, dark back of the horse inside, who was looking at her with a benign expression, if a little bored. Grinning, Lucy jogged around to the back and lowered the ramp, putting her lips together and giving a tiny whistle. Immediately, the horse began to back out, all seventeen hands making her way down the ramp, stepping around and casting an interested look around at the place. Lucy looked around herself. She'd never ridden on a sand track before...and who better to do it with than the gentle giant? "What do you think, Winny?" Windsor merely flicked an ear and turned her head a little as she took in the surrounding. She was a wonderful horse, and Lucy always found herself wondering what would have happened if the mare had successfully completed a race. Of course...she had run in four, but she had finished half of them last, and half of them next to last because she was so worked up she could not even run with the pack. It was a curious affliction, she had to admit. It was known that neither of her parents had behaved in such a way.

However, Lucy pushed aside the thoughts of Windsors failure as a race horse, and tied her loosely to the trailer, stepping up into the small tack room and sliding the French link snaffle bridle off it's hook, grabbing a set of bell boots and white polo wraps and stepping back down again. It was a quick business putting on the polos and the front bells, and a few minutes later Lucy was clipping her hat on and slipping the bridle onto the mare's face, tossing the reins over her neck and leading her away. It had been a long week; she'd exercised several horses at the local track because Lime was a bit off and Jaimy wanted to rest him a few days so that he didn't hurt himself in his race next week. Lucy would be piloting Atonement in her first race, and she was nervous, but excited. The thought of riding a two year old again was a bit frightening, what with the events that followed last time...but Adelle was not the same horse. Adelle was level headed and clever, and they would run a clean, strong race and not force anything. 

Pausing in her walking, Lucy halted the mare, took a step back, crouched, bounded one step and then vaulted onto the mare's back, settling herself with reasonable comfort behind the mare's withers. She was broader than many thoroughbreds, well confirmed and with thicker bones. Jaimy was intent on breeding her to create slightly tougher stock, and she was quick enough as well...just as long as her fear did not also transfer. They would have to see what happened. Nudging her gently with her heels, the mare took off at an easy, medium walk, her head turning this way and that as the jockey rode on a loose rein, taking in the new surface. As they stepped out onto the track, the mare's hooves sank a little deeper than on the dirt surface she was used to. She paused mid stride, bobbing her head lower for a moment and then continuing, carefully picking her way across the surface. She did not seem to mind it, so Lucy let her walk, sitting back relaxed and unfussed. For once, she wasn't in any hurry at all.

[Cavallo]

Michael parked the trailer and eased out from the truck as he ambled his way towards the back of the rig. He cracked his neck with unreleased stress. He was agitated to say the least with his past week. He'd felt for sure that he and Atropa had been on the edge of a victory over Eternal Phantom only to be behind the mare again. Nick, ever attuned to his younger brother was quick to suggest just getting off the grounds with the frustrated mare. He'd seen the wisdom in the suggestion and had taken it upon himself to wrangle the filly into the trailer and headed off for the sand track. The sand would be added work for them both and an effective means of extracting out the built up frustration from their bodies.

There was the rattle and shifting of the body inside as he rubbed his palms onto his faded jeans and proceeded to make his way to the back. Finding the latch he quickly lifted it and revealed the black bay beauty inside. Nightshade snorted defiantly at being couped up, but her countenance perked immediately as she beheld the sad track. It wasn't a foreign place to them and in fact had been a frequent place of visit in preparation for the Dubai races. She neighed sharply in excitement and Michael couldn't help but respond to her exuberance with an easy smile as he entered in to unleash the singing siren.

She descended to earth with a hop of excited energy, ears flicking to-and-fro as she took in the track. Any kind of track had Atropa immediately on edge and ready to run at a moments notice, but the two had been racing together now for four years and theirs was a bond that could easily read the other. She could have been in no better hands than Michael's. He paused as he took in their surroundings and noticed a lone rider preparing to embark upon the track. He paused in momentary observation, but it was not to be prolonged as Nightshade danced on the end of her lead like a writhing snake. "Easy girl, easy." He ran a calloused hand on the filly's neck in comfort and continued to lead her to the side for tacking. It was a routine as old as time and it flew by in quick fashion, tack jingling as Nightshade pranced in place in eagerness.

He grabbed her reins and mane in one hand and in a swift motion lifted off the ground with an ease. He collected himself and as one they were off like a shot towards the gap. She tossed her head wildly in eagerness as her feet sank into the sand. It pulled on her muscles and Michael could sense her relish in the challenge. He wanted to be sure to not cause an accident and called out to the walking pair on the tracks as he and Nightshade approached. "On your left." He raised in warning as they made their way down the middle of the track, sand kicking back in their wake as they moved at a moderate pace. He slowed Atropa down slightly as they drew nearer in an attempt to name the stranger, but was shocked to actually see a new face. It wasn't often that Michael met a face he didn't know and they slowed down to a gradual walk as they drew near.

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Lucy heard a vehicle pull up, but she didn't bother to look around. Already walking on the track, she waited until Windsor looked around with an expression of mild interest, finally prompting her rider to look around as well, no longer able to play off that she hadn't noticed. A rider was coming atop a dark brown horse, older by the looks of it, having grown into it's legs a bit more and moving with a more confident stride than a two year old. She ventured a guess that the animal was at least three, though four or five seemed more likely. It was a big horse too, around Windsor's size except not quite as built as the eight year old mare. In anticipation of another horse passing them, Windsor picked up a slow, comfortable jig, save for the slightly elevated feel that was brought on by the weighty footing. Lucy sat the movement easily, centered on the mare's back, reins a little on the loose side and she nudged her with a left heel and twinkled the reins so that she straightened out and looked forward again.

It wasn't until she heard the voice that she looked around and this time, got a proper look at the man riding. He looked taller than she was, although that wasn't really saying much, seeing as most people were taller than she was. Like any rider atop a thoroughbred, he had an athletic look about him, solidly built and with a relaxed expression and what looked to be a kind eye. He looked to be going at a reasonable clip, and so Lucy just smiled and tipped her hat at him as he went past, but found herself surprised as he slowed down instead to a walk, matching her pace. A little surprised, she gave him a light smile. "Hello," she said, assuming that his change of pace could only mean he was curious about her, or wanted a conversation. Lucy was new to the area, and from what she'd seen so far, most people around here seemed to know just about everyone, so a new face was not only a surprise, but a subject of keen interest for them. 

Windsor tossed her head a little, still jigging slowly, her bareback rider remaining unperturbed. She felt a little awkward due to the fact that the guy was riding beside her without saying anything, but didn't really feel like taking the initiative. She liked company, but if this guy was just coming to interrogate her about being a new person she wasn't interested. She wasn't Jaimy - she wasn't content to answer every question about her life, riding, why she was there, and where she was from even though she thought it was made quite clear by her accent. She'd answer her name and how long she'd been riding, but that was just about it. Well...maybe there were exceptions but she hated the whole interview nonsense. Then again, she also wasn't interested in awkward silence, so if he didn't say anything soon she'd just peel off at a canter and be done with it.

However, she stopped the rising irritation before it became a problem, because after all, the new guy had just arrived, and if she was already mad then she was unlikely to make any friends around here. Which was something she was rather keen to avoid, so she stayed her irritation and simply looked at him with an expression of mild curiosity. Perhaps it was a bit expectant, but not angry. The day was a lazy one, and she wasn't in a hurry to do much of anything. She at least hoped that this guy was here to talk, and not just stare for a moment and then leave, because that would be rude. She doubted he would be opposed to the idea of a female jockey, as their numbers were rapidly increasing in this day and age, but she was still curious to see what this guy was actually like. Heaven knew she needed to find somebody to talk to.

[Cavallo]

Rude wasn't normally his thing, especially being a Landing, known across the board as just being genuinely overly nice people, but if his mother could see him now she would be boxing his ears. As he slowed Atropa down, he suddenly realized that it wasn't the filly who was gazing...nope. It was him. It was true there weren't a lot of new faces and he realized quite suddenly in his attempt to place the face and horse that he had literally slowed Nightshade down to the unknown duo's pace. He very quickly had a sheepish grin on his face. "Way to go Landing. Why don't you just stop and have a tea party while your goggling the poor girl and her horse," He mentally berated himself and was quick to snap to attention in a obvious attempt to redeem himself in some way as the woman spoke a "hello". "Oh I'm sorry, I'm an idiot and to be quite honest...I hadn't even realized that errr...well." His sun bronzed skin suddenly darkened. "frick." This was why Michael Landing did not interact wit unknown persons...somehow he always looked the part of an idiot.

Nightshade was not having the indecisive vibes from her normally confident partner-in-crime and her teeth bared in warning briefly to the riding pair who had obviously just thrown her partner's mojo off. Nick gave a quick disciplinary pull of the reins as she shook her head in defiance as if to say "yeah whatever". He gave the woman a sheepish grin. "I really am sorry. I was being a complete door knob trying to place you and your horse and as I realized that I didn't know you at all, suddenly you're saying hello and now I'm blabbering like an old woman. I'm Michael Landing." He quickly found his wit again and awarded her with a winning smile, that was the usual carefree and confident Michael and nodded to her in respect and greeting. A rueful look crossed his firmed features, "I promise I normally don't stumble all over the place like this normally. " He checked Nightshade quickly as she veered too close to the other horse. "It's not an everyday occurrence here to actually meet someone new. Pleasure to meet you...??" he arched an eyebrow in question and took the moment to truly take in both horse and rider, might as well since his subconscious had inadvertently put his workout with Nightshade on hold with gawking.

She was a dark featured woman, small in size and build - which wasn't an odd thing here on the tracks. If anything he was a freaking abnormality and a giant for a jockey at modest 5'9". He noticed for the first moment that she was actually riding bareback and his mind quickly turned to assess the horse. Solid, build, pretty in the head with a refined look and a kind eye...but not a spring chicken. Atropa here was a seasoned racehorse with three years of solid back-to-back racing years. He knew the build of an active racehorse and this was not one. Not flabby by any means, but there wasn't that athletic hardness that came with consistent and intensive training. The filly was older, maybe even a broodmare and that meant that this woman was not here on business. He suddenly felt bad for intruding in on her and her horse's exercise and once again could just hear his mother ripping him a new one for his rudeness, but hey at this point the damage was done...heck maybe they might just hit it off. Hell, he needed to get off the stable grounds more often and sometimes it was very easy to feel closed in and guarded when surrounded by the same people day in and day out...plus...It isn't always a field of daisies when your boss is your brother. "Hope I haven't ruined your plans. If I'm bothering you just tell me to shove off." He winked conspiratorially in a sign of good faith that his feelings wouldn't be hurt. He hadn't been the "new guy" for quite some time, but he knew how everyone around here reacted to new people. It was like throwing chum into shark infested waters...people could and would swarm. Some could even bite, though he didn't like to think of himself as belonging to that species of people...

[Deleted]

Lucy allowed him a moment to make a fool of himself a little longer, and cocked an eyebrow as he put on a sheepish grin, not saying anything at all. When he finally spoke, her face remained impassive, although her expression might have been somewhat blank. What had he not realized? It seemed that he did not know either, because the sentence deteriorated rather quickly and his face turned somewhat pink. Perhaps neither of them would ever know what he was talking about, but honestly, she wasn't fussed about it. Her gaze flicked to the irritated filly atop which this strange, awkward man sat. Windsor did not seem concerned at all, content to merely flick an ear in the other horse's direction, but taking no interest in her display of aggression. Lucy decided that she wouldn't either, but she was glad that the filly's jockey was conscious enough to notice and take care of it. After all, the last thing she or Windsor needed was a bite or a squealing match.

His next stream of words came out rather rapidly, and the jockey simply stared, her face impassive. Idiot? Door knob? Blabbering? Old woman? He certainly had a colorful vocabulary, and Lucy found herself mildly impressed by the lack of swearing in that sentence. She was something of a foul mouthed imp, but Jaimy had been impressing upon her for quite some time that she needed to learn to curb her tongue. Something about "being unprofessional". At this, the spunky jock always snorted. As far as she was concerned, jockeys had the most dangerous job in the sporting world, and therefore by rights were allowed to cuss their bloody brains out until they saw fit to stop. However, Jaimy was her boss, and while he was also her friend she would not put it past him to fire her to teach her a lesson. Of course, she knew he'd always take her back, he was a sucker for those who needed help. Lucy was poor as dirt outside of this world. She'd lost most of her money when she'd immigrated to the States, spending some time as a TA in a physics lab and making just above minimum wage, as well as working as a groom at a local race track. It was by the grace of some deity that one of Jaimy's horses had gotten loose, and she'd been the idiot foolish enough to try and stop it; she was still shocked that her plan had worked.

His words became less jumbled as he continued, but Lucy's expression still did not change. She didn't know why she was behaving like this, as she usually wasn't much of a mystery girl. She was quite open about expressing her feelings and opinions, but for some reason, she was not reacting whatsoever to any of this man's blathering. When he finally introduced himself as Michael, she found her attention momentarily back on the horse, who still seemed determined to irritate Windsor. Of course, she'd have her work cut out for her because Vox had most certainly had one leg over her withers before, and the bay had simply trotted away with Vox dangling helplessly with two feet on the ground. She turned her gaze back to Michael's, and then grinned a little bit. "Take it easy there, Door Knob," she chortled. "I'm a new face, it's understandable. No need to get your knickers in a twist about it, I don't really mind." She paused a moment, uncertain if she wanted to give this man her full name. However, she decided that having a mate around here wouldn't be too bad, so she smiled again. "Lucy McDuff."

Windsor suddenly decided that this pace was too boring, and picked up a more animated jig. Far from unseating her rider, Lucy moved with it, only mildly uncomfortable as they trotted bareback. Lucy was too lazy to bother posting, so she simply rode under the impression that there were bowling balls attached to her heels, and that she was practically glued to the mares back. This made the trot easier to sit, and the mare had a comfortable stride anyways. She chuckled a little bit. "Oh please, another horse? You've just made this one's day. She loves working with a buddy, it's the only time she ever enjoys a good competition." It was true, she was not a working racehorse, but she exercised with them on a fairly regular basis, working as a both lead pony and workout buddy for the more anxious horses, although she was also Jaimy's favored ride, and since he usually was present at workouts, he would often ride her along side the young horses. Granted, the last couple weeks had rendered her somewhat less in shape than she usually was, but she was regaining ground quickly.

She gave Windsor an affectionate pat. "So if you feel like a little conversation during your workout, I'd be more than happy to join," then, she gave him a somewhat sly grin. "Unless of course...I'm ruining your plans." She did not wink as he did, but the teasing nature of her voice made it quite obvious that she would not be heartbroken if he was interested in a serious workout. However, here at the sand track, a good workout was a given. The surface was deep, and the horses would no doubt be working hard to keep a good pace. Windsor was a jumper when she wasn't ponying babies, and she was quite good at it, so Lucy was confident she could navigate the terrain at a gallop with ease. She then nodded at the filly. "Nice horse, she's an older one, yeah?" It was a handsome filly, there was no doubt about it. She was obviously a seasoned race horse, with at least a year or two of racing under her belt, and even though her attitude was persnickety, Lucy didn't care. She wasn't nearly as bad as Vox.

[Cavallo]

He laughed easily at the way in which he addressed her with his own self-prescribed title of "door knob". He shook his head and was inwardly pleased that his co-workers weren't here to see his floundering beginning. Never in his life had he come across so.. so... stupid. His head screwed on right for the moment he was relieved to see that his incoherent rambling hadn't scared the newcomer off, though he knew that if he ever saw this woman again after today that he would never be able to live this moment down.

"Pleasure Lucy." Nightshade snorted herself at the walking pace and was more than eager to match the trot that the other equine was initiating. As usual though, an inch somehow always tried to become a mile where she was concerned and it meant Michael was instantly rating the filly and pulling her back from her lunge for freedom. Shaking his head at the rank filly he was able to bring her in hand to settle at the jaunting trot. He grimaced an apology for his mounts spirited attitude. Being around Atropa night and day, he tended to forget that Nightshade was indeed a horse that was a handful to handle and could come across the wrong way to the unsuspecting person. His posture was firm, but held an easy confidence that bespoke of a rider who knew what he was about and how to handle a spirited horse. His touch on the reins was light, but tight with tension as Atropa tried to pull rank and have her way, but that clearly wasn't happening. With the matter of his mount now in hand he inclined his head to hear the rest of what the woman was going to say.

Her name was Lucy and she was definitely not from here if her accent was any indication. It had already been clearly established by his own blundering that she was also knew to The Wire in general. A million questions automatically filled his head, but he bit his tongue against the onslaught of queries. Now wasn't the time or the place for those kinds of conversations, plus...he didn't want to be "that guy". He had to find some way to reclaim his dignity after her blundering beginning. Her reassurance that their presence wasn't disturbing was at least one step in the right direction. At the mention of her mount he again admired the mare that had eagerly upped her pace with the arrival of another. It was almost like confirmation of Lucy's very words. He arched an eyebrow in surprise as she offered to tag along in his workout. Well. Well maybe I didn't freak her out too much. He teased himself inwardly and nodded in an easy manner after a brief's moment of surprise at her initial offer. "You're more than welcome to join and believe me, the added competition will only make this filly here work better. How fast are you willing to go?" He asked with a nod in reference to her bareback status. If she was willing to go the distance so was he.

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Windsor was watching the filly's antics with what Lucy could only assume to be mild amusement. Every so often, her ear flicked in the dancing filly's direction, and she would toss her head and cock an angle a little bit before allowing Lucy to straighten her out. Michael was obviously quite an accomplished rider, and so she found a bit of amusement in watching him struggle with the horse. She was a feisty one, the type who demanded over a hundred percent of your attention just to keep her going in a straight line at an even pace. If you stopped putting her in her place for even a moment, she'd take the bit and go for it. Shew as like a female, older, and slightly more mature version of Vox. Windsor was no such creature; Lucy was sitting relaxed, bareback on the mare's back, even as she danced a little. She was the type of mare that you simply knew would take care of you. She was a gentle spirit who loved to run, which was a fantastic combination even though she'd never done well as a racehorse, but that did not mean she was slow. Her level of fitness was not that of a racehorse, even though she regularly participated in workouts.

However, Lucy doubted she counted as real competition for this horse, but on this track at a distance...maybe. As she observed his silent war with the filly, she took a moment to consider the guy. He seemed a nice enough fellow. He'd floundered quite a bit, but Lucy had a nagging suspicion he'd been rather tongue tied, and that the air of ease he was slowly beginning to cast off was his more natural state. However, the damage had been done already; Lucy was a notorious user of nicknames, and once somebody gave her one to use, the odds of her ever calling them by their real name again were slim. He was just unfortunate enough to have called himself something so ridiculous, but in all honesty, she rather liked it. For some reason, it seemed fitting. Flashing him a grin, she fed Windsor a little more rein as the other horse seemed to be almost pining to go faster. Windsor ate it up and picked up a canter, still keeping pace, her neck arched, head bobbing up and down a little bit as she moved. "She'll keep up with whatever pace you feel like dishing out," Lucy replied. "She's a stayer this one, she'll run for two miles if you fancy it. She loves a good, hard race, that's for sure. She probably won't stand a chance against that monster, but she'll make it a good fight." 

Windsor was not fit enough, nor was she fast enough to ever be competitive. However, she was clever. She was good at navigating just about any surface, working well in sloppy or fast conditions. On the sand track, she was no different. She was curious about the soft footing, placing each foot carefully, and when she moved into a canter, it was with a little extra bound than usual to make up for the slight loss of momentum. Bareback of course, made no difference to Lucy. She could exercise a horse either way, and she would do it all the time if they were allowed to race like that, or if she could trust the other horses. Adelle would probably behave if she had the chance, and Lime probably would behave himself as well. Lucy didn't trust Rio with anything, and Rose was like trying to ride a semi-truck with all that weight and power. None of this really mattered though, because Jaimy wouldn't have let her train the other horses like that anyhow. "I'm ready whenever you are, Door Knob," she said lightly.

[Cavallo]

<sub>He laughed and smiled at her quick wit. Hey he'd opened the door for her "door knob" comment and it instantly brought a smile to his face. He could appreciate good sarcasm and wit and his admiring glance in Lucy's direction told her just that. Nightshade was eager enough and was relishing the sand surface. It wasn't her first encounter on the sand and Michael was looking forward to their shot of redemption in the next Dubai World Championship run over this very sand course. It was never to early to start preparing and the sand training infinitely enhanced the black bay's stamina and increased her turn of foot - sand had that kind of effect. Having added competition couldn't hurt their workout in the slightest and he was more than willing to have Lucy and her charge along for the ride. If she was game to have a go at it, then he was more than willing.

"Very well then I'm taking Nightshade here for a good mile gallop and I think we'd both love the challenge of competition." If there was one thing Intrepid Staff and horses alike were known for and that was their undying and overwhelming competitive spirit. They could make a competition out of just breathing and that was no joke, it had happened before, but that was another story. Michael only nodded in acceptance of her offer and that was the only warning they would get as Nightshade broke from her trot into a gallop with a fluid, long stride. He glanced back for only a second to see if Lucy and Windsor were coming, but managed to throw back a jaunting taunt none the less, "Let's go Miss Lucy, daylight is burning and this door knob here has a racehorse to workout!'

Nightshade had been closely observing the older mare and snorted almost dismissively before she'd been given more free rein to break into her gallop. She wasn't one to cause trouble if the other wasn't questioning her dominance and Windsor just seemed mildly amused by her antics. Amusement was a threat, but holding her back from her running or delaying her workout time could quickly become problematic for the four year old. Michael felt a slight release in tension as Nightshade lifted her hocks out of the sand and reached for a galloping stride in one seamless attempt. He felt the pull of the hand on Atropa's legs, but it was a welcomed resistance and a driving foe that Nightshade felt the need to conquer and master. No surface had bested her yet and it was largely due to her driving need to master things and people alike. The gallop was brisk and quick and would only grow in momentum as the distance increased. This was one of Michael's favorite places to be, astride a confident and challenging ride and Nightshade definitely fit that bill. He'd been with the filly since her juvenile debut and now they were entering into the golden years of her career. They'd accomplished a lot and now Atropa was coming into the best form of her life, just in time for the Breeder's Cup and also for her five year old and final season. There was no mercy or quarter that would be extended to Lucy and her mount because they had a job to do and it was either match the pace or sit on the sidelines, but Michael was really hopping for the latter. He would have been lying if he said he wasn't intrigued to see Lucy's riding skills and abilities. She was for all intents and purposes a new wild card in the racing world here on The Wire and he was more than eager to see how this foreign rider would match up against the cut-throat competition that called The Wire home.</sub>

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A mile was good. Windsor actually preferred a longer distance, but with the trickiness of the surface it would balance out, so as Michael took off with the dark filly, Lucy wound her fingers into Windsor's mane and gave her a soft cluck. She didn't need to be told, digging her heels deeper into the sand and launching herself forward into a gallop. She lost some ground with the racing filly as she sorted out her feet in the new surface, but quickly found her long, ground eating stride. Once she was settled, Lucy shortened her reins, then braced one hand against the mare's withers, concentrating and counting strides in her head. Then, when the timing was right, she jumped up on her knees, then quickly swapped places with her feet, balancing on the mare's back. It was just like riding with a racing saddle, except her feet were a little higher so she compensated by sitting back and balancing carefully. Windsor moved even faster with this change, her back freed up significantly more with Lucy out of the saddle, and nothing but the soft pressure of her feet on either side of the mare's back.

Damn, if only she'd had the guts to race. She was fine out here with nobody but her and the competition. No crowds, no gates, no lead ponies. Just the race. If only that was how the racing world worked. A couple furlongs in, Windsor caught up, settling in comfortably next to the black filly, her nose right at Michael's toe. The black filly had a beautiful gallop, there was no doubt about it, and watching Michael ride was impressive. He was a bit on the tall side, but he compensated well, in excellent form and letting the filly move but also making sure she didn't get out of control. Windsor was quite an easy horse to ride; she almost never put up a fuss unless you expected her to stay put while another horse took off nearby. She was a good listener, and searched for contact. She also was careful with her feet, something many thoroughbreds lacked. Sometimes, Lucy got a little bit bored with the mare and her lack of challenge, but it was worth it for days like these when she felt like going out bareback and jumping into a competition with another horse. Windsor was the sort you could do bizarre, crazy things with and not only would she not judge you but take it on with relish.

Lucy was pretty sure she knew who was going to win this race; the black filly was in better racing shape, and she was also probably just faster. This didn't bother the young jockey. Maybe once upon a time she'd been fiercely competitive, but after her accident, she'd become a great deal more wary. She didn't quite like a challenge as much anymore, and whenever she was in a big field of racers she tended not to do quite as well. Jaimy was understanding about her issues, but she still wanted to get over them. While she had been racing this season already, she still felt her heart pounding a little more than normal whenever she went out onto the track, and it also kept her from making some of the bolder moves that could win her races every so often. If she saw a hole like that again....well, she didn't think she'd ever be able to act on it. Not after an experience like that. Thankfully, with only two horses in the field, and her own mount sound as a drum and kind as a saint, she was quite comfortable. She kept Windsor from drifting too close to the competition, as the black racer seemed a bit on the touchy side, and Windsor seemed to have a gift for upsetting other horses. It was like that one person who was infuriating strictly because they never got mad, just faintly amused. 

As they roared past a half mile, Lucy asked Windsor for a little more, and the mare powered forward, taking out the rest of the space, and to her surprise, overtook the other filly for a moment. This wasn't generally Windsor's style, but she could see the bay eyeing the other horse a little, her nose just a head past the other's and Lucy laughed. Was she teasing the other horse? Oh she was an absolute ass; she knew she didn't stand a chance, so she decided to have a bit of fun. Stupid horse. Lucy nudged the mare with her left toes, twinkling the right rein and Windsor inched to the right slightly, losing her momentary lead and falling into perfect stride with the other horse, now down by a head. Well, this was shaping up to be interesting.